Study of frictional contact and impact induced transients in an active-passive mechanical pair

This thesis focuses on the analysis of friction and impact force through a series of experimental tests and simulations conducted using Matlab and Simulink. The experimental studies are organised in two major phases. In the first phase of the case study, impact experiments were conducted using two discs, one made of steel and one of aluminium, moved manually, on a mobile steel platform, providing impulsive forces via a rubber hammer. The aim is to observe the effects of friction and of the impact force. Numerical models were developed to simulate the behaviour of the discs. To do this, experimental data and the equations of dynamics of the physical system under investigation were used. The aim is to identify some unknown parameters of the equation describing the impact force. Subsequently, further experimental tests were conducted using the same two discs, but this time they were not manually excited. Instead, they were moved by the mobile platform driven by an electric motor. In addition, to observing the effect of friction and impact force, it was necessary to develop a motion software for the operation of an electric drive. This part, where the effect known as "Induced vibro-impact" was studied, involved the development of a second Simulink model that reproduces the behavior of the mass under these conditions. By comparing experimental data with simulations of the designed models, the identification of unknown parameters related to the impact force was conducted. The results indicate a good corre spondence between experimental data and simulations, suggesting the effectiveness of the identified parameters. In conclusion, this master thesis project contributes to the understanding of the Coulomb friction effect and impact force, aspects that have significant implications for many engineering and industrial applications.